Chelot Review: Perhaps The Most Heart-Racing Malaysian Movie in 2026

In an overused genre, Chelot still stands out with its character-driven story, gritty themes, and high-octane action sequences.

When the trailer first dropped online, my initial thoughts were that Chelot would be another one in the pile of many local cop movies.

It seemed generic and perhaps even a quick way to glitch some gains during the Merdeka period. Well, I’ve been proven so wrong because watching Chelot on the big screen is definitely one of the most engaging movie experiences I had this year.

Also, if you are eager for more local movies coming to your nearest TGV Cinemas, check out TGV’s coming soon list for the latest upcoming movies!

Top-Notch Action Sequences

The local scene when it comes to choreography for action/fight scenes has vastly improved over the years. The one that comes to mind before Chelot this year was Tarung: Unforgiven. They were clean and slick. While the latter revolves around the martial arts core, Chelot is more towards firearms.

The scene where the movie broke the Malaysian Book of Records for the longest action sequence in one take was awesome, but personally, I think Nadhir Nasar’s performance at the opening was sensational.

There’s a part I remember where he took down a couple of cops using a short knife that was buttery smooth. A nice change beneath all the gunfighting.

The standard of action holds itself well throughout the entirety of the movie. There weren’t any dull action moments, and all of them felt cohesive and structured properly.

If I were to nitpick, though, it’d probably be some of the visual effects, noticeably the blood effects, where it looked more like the characters got shot with paintballs than actual bullets.

A Riveting Story That Proves It Isn’t All Just Brawn

I’ll admit. I do see a lot of Infernal Affairs in Chelot. That is extremely high praise due to the universal acclaim it received back in 2002.

Sure, they do have similar plot elements – undercover cops and all – but I really admire how Adrian Teh took some of the best points of Infernal Affairs and weave it inside his work. And that is subtlety.

There’s a lot of “show, don’t tell” method of storytelling. It’s subtle and quiet but also carries a powerful emotional weight with it. This is extremely hard to pull off, and even seasoned Hollywood actors can fail in this regard.

Also read: Filem Terbaik Syamsul Yusof

Shaheizy Sam With His Coldest Performance Yet

He is the standout star for me. Playing the main antagonist and mastermind behind everything, his performance as a power-hungry, God-complex, and apathetic character was amazing. His lines were well written and executed brilliantly. I also do see some resemblance to The Joker in his role as Datuk Bakri.

I do wish that his character was more developed, though. Things that I wanted to know are how Datuk Bakri got so powerful, what his motives were, and if he is purely just there for entropy; that should be fleshed out more.

Still, I really do hope more villains like Datuk Bakri are developed in our local movies. Acting-wise, we got it; maybe just the development could be improved upon.

Final Verdict: Chelot is a Sign Local Films Are Heading in the Right Direction

Considered one of the local powerhouse titles of 2026, Chelot most definitely does not disappoint. What I can say is, try not to be discouraged by the trailer and give it a go – it’s really good.

The return of a darker, grittier, and morally gray side of cop action in Malaysian cinema is heartily welcomed – well, at least for me!